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This phone is ultra Delicate!

sean76

sean76

Android Expert
There are some things that surprise me about phone manufacturers these days, like why on earth would you use shiny chrome, plastic, or yet alone anything prone to scratches at all...

I'm starting to notice hairline scratches on my earpiece, which is chrome and a dumb material for an earpiece to begin with.

Major and I mean major scratches all over the battery cover, even with a TPU case on it.

And yes I know its been covered before, but all 3 buttons on this thing get loose within days of use. Those being the Volume rocker, the power button, and the home button (which I happen to like).

Come on Samsung would it be so terrible to take a notice on how well most HTC devices are built and use some quality materials. Besides the build quality, this phone rocks...but boy oh boy is this thing delicate and not made to stand the test of time, especially if you like to keep your devices looking new at all times.
 
BigCiX said:
skins are your friends
Click to expand...


A skin can't cover the earpiece, and a skin on a battery cover is straight crazy in 2012. God only knows how many phones I've owned and I've never seen the rear of a phone so poorly made. But the best part is this...yes its cheaply made plastic, however Samsung has the nerve to call it Hyper Glaze which according to them is polycarbinate plastic? Really now...
 
I agree that you are being a little OCD on the buttons. If you are just worried about the buttons you are missing out of the greatness of the phone. The battery back cover is easily replaced. I use a hard cover and have no scratches. If you are worried about selling the phone later down the road, keep that screen and front part of the phone looking nice and you are set.

Also as a forum we are here to help you. These issues seem to be out of our control. Perhaps the phone is not for you.
 
I bought this phone for $680 USD here in Dubai and I dont want a single scrath on my delicate phone, which is why I immediately put a screen protector + rubber case to protect it
 
Funnyusername said:
I agree that you are being a little OCD on the buttons. If you are just worried about the buttons you are missing out of the greatness of the phone. The battery back cover is easily replaced. I use a hard cover and have no scratches. If you are worried about selling the phone later down the road, keep that screen and front part of the phone looking nice and you are set.

Also as a forum we are here to help you. These issues seem to be out of our control. Perhaps the phone is not for you.
Click to expand...


Brother I've been here a long time, been through more phones then there are days in a month...

In a Forum when you post up a thread its interesting to hear other peoples take on the issue, I'm not looking for help in correcting the problem, not unless your a Big shot for Samsung and can up the ante on build quality for the device.

Some members mistake people who notice build quality as OCD ...that is not the case here. I'm merely talking about things that yes can affect a resale, and yes are build quality flaws.

My Gnex was in the same shape it was from the day I bought it months later. And that's a Samsung phone.

My iPhone 4 and 4s had not a Nick anywhere in sight when the case came off.

My Droid Razr was built extremely well also

And lets not get into the One X ....

Its 2012...if your going to change good money for a Phone, make sure its build quality is on par with the price tag...that's all I'm saying fellas...under the hood the GS3 is an Animal, but if build quality is of a concern for the buyer, this may not be a good buy.
 
Samsungs history with build quality is what ultimately made me choose against the s3.

These are $500-600 pieces of technology and are expected to last you 2 years. There's no reason to make them out of flimsy plastic.

I hope you can find a solution to protect your baby.
 
berryracer said:
I bought this phone for $680 USD here in Dubai and I dont want a single scrath on my delicate phone, which is why I immediately put a screen protector + rubber case to protect it
Click to expand...


Me too man, I have a Diztronic TPU case on it which I love...But when I took it off earlier to swap batteries I noticed a bunch of hairline scratches on the rear of the phone... And yes that set me off on the war path...lol
 
Rxpert83 said:
Samsungs history with build quality is what ultimately made me choose against the s3.

These are $500-600 pieces of technology and are expected to last you 2 years. There's no reason to make them out of flimsy plastic.

I hope you can find a solution to protect your baby.
Click to expand...


Always nice to hear a voice of reason. I agree, I've been around a while...I know Samsungs past with build quality. I just honestly thought that with all there success over the last few years, and the constant bashing that they have received from countless phone review sites over and over again about build quality, that they would wake up and just do it right this time.

When I heard they were using polycarbinate for the rear of the phone I actually got excited, especially after I saw what HTC did with the One X! Well if that's Polycarbinate on the GS3, then I'm getting drafted by the Yankess tomorrow and I'm the second coming of Micky Mantle...its the point of just BS'ing the customer that gets me angry.
 
im sorry, but i have no idea what youre talking about. had the SIII for a couple weeks now, and the finish is spotless. it even took a couple soft falls before i got a case on it (incipio dualpro). the power and volume buttons wiggle very slightly, and my home button is holding up just fine, and i have not been able to leave this phone alone...
 
My two-peneth' (cents if you prefer)... Had mine since a week or two after UK release. No button wobble. No scratches on back plate. One bad drop (more like throw!) onto concrete road and no visible marks, concrete dust wiped off. Always use screen protector and Sena Ultrafine leather case (wasn't on when dropped, alas).

I am concerned that cam lense is raised and vulnerable, but so far ok (my S2 did get scratched there). Don't like the screen edge having tiny curve that makes some screen protectors lift (others are cut smaller...didn't like Invisible Sheild which did fit perfectly).
 
sean76 said:
There are some things that surprise me about phone manufacturers these days, like why on earth would you use shiny chrome, plastic, or yet alone anything prone to scratches at all...

I'm starting to notice hairline scratches on my earpiece, which is chrome and a dumb material for an earpiece to begin with.

Major and I mean major scratches all over the battery cover, even with a TPU case on it.

And yes I know its been covered before, but all 3 buttons on this thing get loose within days of use. Those being the Volume rocker, the power button, and the home button (which I happen to like).

Come on Samsung would it be so terrible to take a notice on how well most HTC devices are built and use some quality materials. Besides the build quality, this phone rocks...but boy oh boy is this thing delicate and not made to stand the test of time, especially if you like to keep your devices looking new at all times.
Click to expand...


Sounds like you need a better cover. Clearly there is an issue with the type of cover you are using if you are still getting scratches with a cover on.

Personally, I got my SIII two days after it can out in Australia, and straight away put a screen protector and a back cover on it. The phone is either in my pocket or in the console of my car and there is not a scratch, mark or discolouration on it.

I have this cover..... Rock
 
I don't have a problem with the plastic at all. It's an expensive phone which I take care of. I don't go around flinging it around, keeping it in my pocket with keys etc.

That said, I don't care about superficial scratches (even on the display) as they make absolutely no difference to the user experience.
 
My back is scratched and if I look hard, I can see one hairline on the est piece.

My buttons however, as stiff as day one
 
Please keep responses on-topic and civil, thanks. Differing opinions are welcome as they promote discussion and understanding, but personal attacks most certainly aren't.

Several posts have been removed as unacceptable - please review the Site Rules (if required) for guidance.

Thanks!
 
Hmmmmm...

I have had mine for about a month now. After reading your issues, i checked mine over very closely. I also have absolutely no issues whatsoever.
When i got the phone, AT&T did not have any cases or screen protectors in stock so i went to my local Sprint store. Bought a hard case for it and a pack of protectors.

I put the phone in my pocket all the time.

I sure hope you find an answer to your issues. I really do not think you will see Samsung change the build of their devices however. This thing along with the S2 has outsold just about everything.............so if you were Samsung, why change?

Look beyond the issues you have and just enjoy the device i guess............not many other roads to travel...........
 
It's far from ultra-delicate. It is designed as every product is, with engineering trade-offs. Other designs are different and have their own issues due to the design.
 
I've had mine for about 3 and a half weeks now and haven't seen any scratches on it at all (started out with an HTC EVO 4G LTE and switched over to an SIII).

I usually read all the reviews I can before making a decision on a phone and all the reviews said the same thing- It's thin, it's plastic and the battery cover is as thin as a tupper ware lid. But never read any reports about the unit scratching easily.

Granted it's not built like a tank but few phones out of the box are. Even the Iphone 4/4S has it's issues with the glass on the back cracking. But so far the build quality of the SIII seems fine to me.

I use the BB Platinum series case which is made by Seidio and seems to give it good protection (don't use screen protectors, hate 'em) and I always make sure when I put it in my pocket, it's not with keys or loose change. At work I usually use the belt clip holster thing the case came with (yes nerdy I know).

Plus once a week I take it out of the case and wipe the whole phone down with a micro fiber cloth and spray a bit of that Monster cleaning solution on the screen (they have it on sale at Fry's for around $5.00 every once in awhile).

But you seem to enjoy the phone and I hope it lasts you.
 
Use mine for 3 weeks..Luvin it..pebble blue 32..keep it in the silicrylic double case. Soft cover goes on first, which I like because I find sometimes with a hard case taking it off and putting it on can cause scratches on the battery back. I like the easy slip over. And I carry it in a Soft leather pouch without a screen protector and in the pocket..still mint!
 
As much as my S3 is holding up pretty well, the iPhone with its steel and glass surfaces got it beat. I would not mind Samsung putting a little more into long term durability for cosmetics. It would be more fitting for the most advanced phone on the market.
 
An otterbox is your best friend when it comes dropping your phone or anything. Dropped mine quite a bit but no dings or scratches courtesy of otterbox ;)

Sent From My HTC Evo 3D Using TapaTalk
 
Thanks for the replies fellas, something I'm wondering? Are those saying they have no scratches using the Blue or White version? I have the white, but I did check one of my workers Pebble Blue and not a single blemish. I would have guessed differently which one would show scratches.
 
sean76 said:
There are some things that surprise me about phone manufacturers these days, like why on earth would you use shiny chrome, plastic, or yet alone anything prone to scratches at all...

I'm starting to notice hairline scratches on my earpiece, which is chrome and a dumb material for an earpiece to begin with.

Major and I mean major scratches all over the battery cover, even with a TPU case on it.

And yes I know its been covered before, but all 3 buttons on this thing get loose within days of use. Those being the Volume rocker, the power button, and the home button (which I happen to like).

Come on Samsung would it be so terrible to take a notice on how well most HTC devices are built and use some quality materials. Besides the build quality, this phone rocks...but boy oh boy is this thing delicate and not made to stand the test of time, especially if you like to keep your devices looking new at all times.
Click to expand...

you've worn it out in 2 months or less??? Scratches on a covered case? Carry sand in your pockets along with the phone? You are hard on phones friend...

And hairline scratches on the headset earpiece? Please....

Rxpert83 said:
Samsungs history with build quality is what ultimately made me choose against the s3.

These are $500-600 pieces of technology and are expected to last you 2 years. There's no reason to make them out of flimsy plastic.
Click to expand...

They're all made out of flimsy plastic however unless you remove the cover from its chassis it's not like it flexes or bends lol.

That being said, I had my Captivate for 2 years and sold it for enough to pay for the S3. After 2 years of daily use it was in mint condition. No thick case or anything for it although I did put a Zagg full body cover on it after the first year. Never even had a screen protector on it until then. The only thing I could really fault it for was a GPS unit that took forever to lock. Build quality was just fine.

Only had my HOX for 2 weeks so can't really say how well it hold up. It did feel heavier, but in fact it's about the same weight as the S3. Feel is subjective, and I think it has more to do with balance than anything else. Put your finger in the middle of the S3 and hold it with that single finger - it's almost perfectly balanced. I think that has more to do with the "light" feel than the materials durability, as previously stated the 2 actually weigh the same. I sure can't blame anyone if they prefer the feel of the One X; i would certainly agree it has a premium feel (and i actually prefer the matte finish of it's backside) but that's certainly no indication the S3 will fall apart.
 
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